First in 5th: Perriello campaign ad gets him dirty. Literally.

Tom Perriello doesn't freshen up before his close up.PHOTO FROM PERRIELLO AD

At first, the television spot looks like standard political fare. Congressman Tom Perriello is talking earnestly into the camera about jobs. Then you notice something a little different as he strolls through a dairy barn.

Is he really stepping into a cow pie? And why is Perriello under a desk stringing broadband cable? And, whoa, while riding in a cop car, he's getting broadsided by a cup of coffee.

The spot ends with a dirt-streaked, coffee-stained Perriello again talking earnestly into the camera: "I'm Tom Perriello, and I support this message because I guarantee no one will work harder to bring jobs to Virginia."

The 5th District Congressional race is one of the most hotly contested re-election races in the country, and it includes hard-hit Southside, which suffered deep unemployment even before Perriello snagged the job away from his predecessor, Republican Virgil Goode, by 727 votes in 2008. So do voters really want to laugh when the job market is so dire?

The Congressman's coffee takes a spill in his first 30-second spot.PHOTO FROM PERRIELLO AD

"They get that the mood of the ad is funny, but the topic is serious," says Perriello campaign manager Lise Clavel, who touts Perriello's record of working hard for the district.

"We don't feel we have to hide behind a negative campaign by going after Hurt so early like he is against us," continues Clavel, pointing to Hurt campaign emails that focus on unseating Perriello, not Hurt's record.

State Senator Hurt, who battled six challengers in the June 8 Republican primary, hasn't launched any television ads yet, but then, he doesn't appear to have a war chest like the one amassed by Perriello. With a district ripped from GOP hands and still riven by constant Tea Party demonstrations, the 5th is viewed as a key national battleground, as well as a litmus test on the Obama presidency. That could help explain the $1.5 million that Perriello has raised.

Hurt campaign manager Sean Harrison declines to discuss Hurt's advertising strategy, but he has a few words on Perriello's.

"While his ad may try to make him look like he's focused on jobs, his record during his time in Congress proves otherwise," says Harrison, mentioning Nancy Pelosi four times in his responses to a reporter's questions, a hint that the Speaker of the House may figure in Hurt's campaign strategy.

The Perriello ad was created by Milwaukee agency Eichenbaum & Associates, which won't comment on it. "We're a regular commercial agency," says partner Neal Bardale. "We don't specialize in political ads as many agencies in Washington do."

During his first run for office two years ago, the firm created spots, including one scolding opponent Goode's portrayal of the Ivy resident as a New Yorker. Perriello blasted the New York rumor with an ad emphasizing humor.

"That's what made his ads particularly effective," says UVA Center for Politics analyst Isaac Wood. "You recognize they don't seem like typical political ads. People want to watch them again, and they'll spread virally."

Still, political dangers can lurk when taking a light-hearted approach in a district with unemployment rates around 15 percent in Danville and over 21 percent in Martinsville–- the highest in the state.

"He has to be careful," says Wood. "He's starting to talk about jobs at a time when the job numbers here in the district are still pretty pitiful."

When the air waves are cluttered with political commercials, advises Wood, it's a good idea to cut through the clutter.

"Politicians are famous for being risk-averse," he says. "Tom Perriello is not risk-averse."

47 comments

Dave Ford July 8th, 2010 | 2:16pm

Clark told someone the other day that Hurt called him to set up a meeting to talk about the future of the 5th district race.It wouldn't suprise me for Clark to drop out any day.Perriello will continue to have a cash advantage but will lose this fall.Perriello can NOT distance himself enough from Obama and Pelosi.Perriello can run all the ads he wants to about how hard he has worked for jobs in the 5th district but it won't fool anyone.Since Perriello took office unemployment has went up and that is a fact.

Tars and Gripes July 7th, 2010 | 9:29pm

The anti-Perriello vitriol lacks depth and substance. I can just imagine all the knees jerking.

Old Timer July 6th, 2010 | 11:07am

Central Va,

There is much to be desired regarding the Democrats, but job creation coming out of this recession has been greater than that of 1991, and 2001, both led by GOP deregulate ' business friendly' administration.

So if you want something better than Tom, you better forget the noise from the GOP and the Tea Party.

Central VA July 6th, 2010 | 5:10am

If jobs are Tom Perriello's top concern, why did he vote last summer for cap-and-trade legislation that threatens to destroy what is left of manufacturing in the Fifth District?

If he cares about jobs so much, why did he fail to object when the Democratic House leadership put jobs at the bottom of its priority list?

If jobs are so important, why has Perriello supported a Democratic agenda that has created so much uncertainty about health care and energy costs for business that many employers are now scared to hire more workers?

Tom Perriello is smart and I believe he cares about the people of the Fifth District. But he seems unable to figure out that the policies he's embraced since taking office are in all probability hurting the nation's economic recovery, not helping it.

HarryD July 1st, 2010 | 5:17pm

Tom Perriello wouldn't know a job opportunity from a cow pie if it hit him the face...........

P Tardy July 4th, 2010 | 5:45pm

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity." You talkin to me??

Sean July 5th, 2010 | 7:03pm

It's entirely possible that this tea party candidate down in Danville will siphon off enough votes from the republicans - say, 5% - to enable Perriello to win with significantly lower than 50% of the vote. You can bet thousands democrats eagerly signed his petition to get on the ballot!

Add to that Charlottesville's ability to produce many hundreds of "surprise votes" a few days after a close election for their boy Tom - and I think he has a level chance of still eeking out another victory come November.

Durtburglar July 2nd, 2010 | 1:26pm

@JackAction... What the H-E-double-hockey-sticks are you talking about? Are you suggesting that because I don't attend your teabagger rallies, and missappropriate patriotic symbolism in the service of your misguided and misinformed notions that I am somehow ignorant?

Sorry Lipton, your crazy is showing. I have better things to do than hang around with a bunch of right-wing Social Security and Medicare recipients and hypocritically whine about "big gub'mint."

cognitive d July 2nd, 2010 | 10:14am

I know it's pointless to ask internet posters to give credit where credit's due, but the congressman was just at a groundbreaking in Danville, where $2 million in federal government grants could return up to $45 million in private investing.

In reality, the prominantly Republican Party district was gerrymandered into non-existence by then govenor Doug Wilder in 2006, thus removing from office the duly-elected US Representative only weeks after the election and leaving the residents with the Democratic Party member elected by the voters in the adjoined district.

Make some attempt to pay attention to what occurs in front of your faces.

Tom's next job should be in the kitchen in a Federal prison.

Old Timer July 8th, 2010 | 11:44am

King Ralph,

Who was in office in 1982? GOP Ronnie Raygun. And don't try and say 'But that was Carter's mess' because then you defeat your own argument about the current unemployment rate being on Obama or Tom, instead of Bush. Time in office is equal.

Secondly, you need to cite how the collection and definition for unemployment was changed for the purpose of government statistics if you want to attack Clinton. I smell another echo chamber lie, but if you can find real evidence, I'll bite.

Whatever those guidelines were for unemplolyment, they were also used with the Bush administration and his supposedly ' great job generating' economy. So that means he did even worse than Clinton. What, a million jobs which then lost almost 8 million by the time he left office? LOL. Yeah. Deregulation is great when it's all paid for by increasing debt and big gummin't ain't it?

Sean July 8th, 2010 | 2:56pm

Old Timer, the bankstahs would have had no bad loans to play with had the Clinton administration not given them that windfall with their silly pandering to minorities. Did you read the article and watch the video? Were they fake? Or are you just so far out on the partisan fringe you can't deal with reality as explained therein?

Thanks for noticing that Clinton did indeed sign that bill. And yes, the republicans played a part in letting guys like Maddoff do what he wanted.

But the fact remains that this problem started with Freddiie and Fannie, and there problems started with Clinton's looney policy. Facts are facts.

As for who is and is not owned by the banks, I suggest you have a
look at who was Barrack Obama's # 1 private campaign contributor in the 2008 election campaign - and who is amongst the top 7 overall. He wasn't getting all his money from BP!

He was the first candidate ever to turn down the public funds so he could raise more private funds from bankers, oil companies, looney left colleges, and so on. He specifically said he would never do that until he saw the money he could get by doing that.

Your presumptions of having the high ground with regard to financial entanglements are just your partisan fantasies.

HarryD July 11th, 2010 | 7:50am

Deleted by moderator.

french fries July 12th, 2010 | 10:39am

Tommy boy can clean himself up with his red flag, or have mommie clean him up with it.

Dave Ford July 13th, 2010 | 10:54am

Take a good look at how much of Tommy boy's money is coming from outside the district and out of state then you will understand why he isn't listening to the people in his district.We need to put him in the unemployment line.

Buck Fever July 12th, 2010 | 4:35pm

If Tom is so protective of jobs in his district why did he use an ad agency from Milwaukee?

toast July 2nd, 2010 | 10:28pm

@HarryD "Give me a break”Š”Š”Š.let the people run the Country." Sounds like Socialism or sumpin..

ActionJackson July 2nd, 2010 | 12:57pm

DURTBURGLER - You probably don't have the brass to show up for the rally on the 4th...just like TP. Once again, the namecalling is a clear indicator of ignorance. Educate yourself!

Sean July 2nd, 2010 | 1:11pm

As far as I can see it, he's created about 10 jobs - in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. If I were him, I would not have made my first commercial for this election one in which the entire theme is that only the government can create jobs. Good luck finding any data that the stimulus created any long term jobs.

I don't think Tom can receive communion in his own church anymore. Although he is pro abortion as a policy stance, he still said that he would never vote for any bill that allowed public funds to pay for abortions. But he did.

Who wants to bet that, if indeed he needs them, the City of Charlottesville will once again be able to come up with 600 or 700 more "surprise votes" a few days after the election for their man Perriello?

Tommy Boy did EXACTLY as Pelosi and Obama instructed him to do, plain and simple. He walks the plank this November as a result.

P T July 5th, 2010 | 12:25am

The Ron Paul Survival Report. 1992.

french fries July 8th, 2010 | 11:17am

Deleted by moderator.

gaslord July 8th, 2010 | 9:47pm

Politics as reality TV. Cliff notes for the world.

Albeboy July 1st, 2010 | 5:28pm

It's nice to see him out interviewing for positions.

Arlen July 1st, 2010 | 7:04pm

Craigslist Ad

Pretty boy needs new job.

carter July 1st, 2010 | 8:34pm

Bye bye, careful with that door..

wow July 1st, 2010 | 9:25pm

Feel the hate, but that is what the baggers do best, hate.. Do me a favor, come up with an idea, then talk

Durtburglar July 2nd, 2010 | 9:45am

@wow... "Feel the hate, but that is what the baggers do best, hate.."

Don't forget about lying. They also love to lie, lie, lie (as evidenced by King Puke's comments above).

HollowBoy July 2nd, 2010 | 11:37am

So people would rather have the reactionary bigoted Virgil no-Goode instead of someone with some energy and intelligence representing them?
I hope and pray Tom can pull it off, Not since L.F. Payne as a Charlottesville resident have I had someone who I felt represented me in the House.

choppedliver July 2nd, 2010 | 4:48pm

WOW, the ones who are constantly bringing up the word hate seem to be the liberals...just an observation.

choppedliver July 2nd, 2010 | 4:51pm

Sooo, I guess he spends the next 6 months campaigning. Why not, Obama has never stopped campaigning, but then that seems to be all he knows.

HarryD July 2nd, 2010 | 6:28pm

Hey WOW! Perhaps you should have Perriello come up with an original idea- why do the conservatives always have to come up with the ideas?

Let's talk here- Sen Byrd- 52 years in Congress- and just look at WV!

Ted Kennedy- too many years in Congress- and look at MA!

Those wonder children from CA- all those years, all that power and look at CA!

Give me a break...........let the people run the Country.

StickAForkInHimHe'sDone July 2nd, 2010 | 7:40pm

No amount of spin and lies will prevent Tommy Boy from losing in 4 months. We don't need a tone-deaf representative who only represents Stretch Pelosi, not his district's residents. He is toast. Maybe then he can go back to his former job.....raising funds for commercials apologizing to Muslims for what our soldiers allegedly do. I never did see any commercials from the Muslims apologizing for all the innocents they purposely killed on 9/11, Bali bombing, USMC Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, '93 WTC bombing, ad nauseam. Let's see if the Dems can manufacture enough phony votes to overcome the real voters wishes.

Caesonia July 3rd, 2010 | 12:31am

King Ralph my company has expanded in the last two years and created two positions this year. No money from 'gumint' contracts, much less the DOD contracts, which seems to be about all the GOP manages to create.

I admit that's small, but we are a smaller company. My disappointment with Tom is that he didn't really push hard enough for increasing supply and better cost management in HC Reform, or limiting the insurance companies now they have a captive market. the tax breaks supposedly offered to mitigate the costs to small employers off go after the 2nd year.

P T July 4th, 2010 | 7:33pm

Quotes

"If you have ever been robbed by a black teen-aged male, you know how unbelievably fleet-footed they can be." - Ron Paul, 1992

"Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the `criminal justice system,' I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal." - Ron Paul, 1992

"We don't think a child of 13 should be held responsible as a man of 23. That's true for most people, but black males age 13 who have been raised on the streets and who have joined criminal gangs are as big, strong, tough, scary and culpable as any adult and should be treated as such." - Ron Paul, 1992

Stars and Stripes July 7th, 2010 | 9:01pm

I'm surprised Pelosi let Perriello down from her lap long enough to do it. Tom looks as strained trying to imitate an honest day's labor as he does pretending to be a statesman.

One Term Tom is toast.

HarryD July 8th, 2010 | 11:45am

Cognitive D- the question remains as to whether TP had anything to do with the funding of the project in Danville, or was it just a phot opportunity. I would guess the latter- just like any politician.

Again, let the people run the Country- get elected and do what the people want you to do, nt just those who elected you. TP is to represent all of us, not just his left side........

Sean July 8th, 2010 | 12:11pm

Whoever wants to know what got us into the mess we are in in the first place need only read one article and watch one video:

Yes, the bankstahs on Wall Street had fun playing with the bad assets and pretending they were government backed - and were very unregulated under both Clinton and Bush. Even UVA got in on the act, although their depleted endowment didn't get bailed out.

But there can be no doubt as to where the story of the financial crisis began: a racially motivated ploy at Freddie and Fannie via a Bill Clinton executive order that completely ignored the laws of economics and common sense.

Dave Ford July 8th, 2010 | 12:26pm

Since Tom Perriello took office the unemployment rate in the 5th district has went UP even after he voted to put the USA deeper in debt with the jobless stimulus package.Tommy boy get ready for the unemployment line you will NOT get a second term.I can't wait to remind all the Democrats this fall that i said this.

gawker July 8th, 2010 | 1:00pm

@Dave Ford: Amen!

The only potential fly in the ointment is Clark's little hissy fit and try at retribution by running as an independent in an attempt to get back at Hurt. We ALL suffer if Tommy Boy gets reelected and Clark will gain nothing other than his revenge. Much like Ralph Nader in 2000 and Ross Perot in 1992.

Sean July 8th, 2010 | 1:01pm

Dave, your hubris may come back to bite you. There is a tea party guy in Danville who will siphon off votes from Hurt, and Tom has some EXTREMELY rich limosine liberals in Charlottesville that will likely grant him an unlimited war chest. Think: UVA, Planned Parenthood, John Grisham, Sissy Spacek, Coran Capshaw. They could flip Tom a penny of their money and he'd be among the top ten best financed candidates in the country.

Your predictions of Tommy Boy's defeat are early and quite optimistic.

Gaslord July 8th, 2010 | 1:47pm

And there is Ernest T. Bass, a favorite tea party guy. he will throw a rock through the windows of the fancy pants book readers in "C" ville. Vote: Ernest T. !!! in twenny ought ten!

Old Timer July 8th, 2010 | 2:23pm

Sean,

Notice how you point to 1999 as evidence for deregulation under Clinton? That was when the Glass_Steagall act was removed, driven by the GOP, near the end of his final term.

Funny how you want to hang that on him. He should get some blame because he signed it, but it hardly equates deregulation under his term with that of Bush.

Sorry, the GOP has been owned by the banks for 30 years, no matter how much you want to hide it.

Titticut Follies July 10th, 2010 | 11:06pm

WAR. What is it good for?
I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.